


After Barre

by KisumiCupid (gwenynnefydd)



Category: Night at the Museum (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ballet, Alternate Universe - Dance, Ballet, Fluff, M/M, One Shot, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-07
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2020-02-27 15:29:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18741850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gwenynnefydd/pseuds/KisumiCupid
Summary: An archive of posts from the ask-ockie-and-polpetto ask blog, taking place in the Ballet 'verse.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a number of posts that I saved from the ask-ockie-and-polpetto ask blog that I ran for a short time after publishing [this fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18736213).

_prompt: Jedediah gets hurt, and Octavius looks after him._

“I am going to  _ die.” _

Jedediah lay face down on the plush cushions of Octavius sofa, legs splayed haphazardly over the arms and sides. His face was buried in the crossed legs of Octavius, who was sat at the other end, carding his fingers through his hair.

“Two weeks!” Jedediah was saying, his voice muffled by Octavius’ trousers. “Two weeks, and I  _ still  _ can’t dance because of this stupid thing!” 

He raised his left ankle, which was bound neatly in a support that was covered in drawings and signatures. Octavius gave it a cursory glance, evidently having heard this whine many times before.

“You need to rest it Jed, or you’ll make it worse.” he replied tiredly. “You fell down the stairs - you can’t exactly walk away from that unscathed.”

“Pushed, more like it. I couldn’t even walk away from it - I couldn’t walk on it properly for the first week.”

“The fact you can walk now though is a good sign. It’ll only be another week, then Larry will probably clear you for classes again.”

“A  _ week _ .” Jedediah groaned into Octavius’ crossed legs. “That’s such a long  _ time _ .”

“Oh  _ dear _ .” Jedediah could practically hear the mock pout dripping from his lips. “Would Jedediah like some cheese with that  _ whine? _ ”

“Piss off, Octavius.” He could feel Octavius vibrate with laughter, and he scowled. “Or at least piss off and get me some actual cheese, in a bap - I’m really hungry.”

“Jed, you can get yourself a cheese  _ roll _ yourself.”

“I’m  _ injured _ .”

“You’re not decrepit.”

“Please? As an apology for mocking the injured boyfriend?”

“... _ Fine _ .” With one last pat to Jedediah’s hair, he got up and went to the kitchen. As the sound of Octavius getting knives and bread for a late lunch filled the air, Jedediah rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling, amusing himself with tracing patterns in the lumpy surface.

“You know,” Octavius said after a while. “You’re lucky that wasn’t far worse. I’m glad that other dancer was there to catch you before you fell on your head.”

“Oh Abe? That guy Amelia met at Ahk’s New Year’s shindig?”

“Yes. He’s not tap though, is he?”

“No, ballroom.”

“It must’ve be sheer serendipity that he was there at the right time.”

“Not really - he’s been walking Amelia home ever since tap class erupted into civil war. He doesn’t think it’s safe for her to be walking by Capone’s house alone any more.”

“Ah, understandable.”

“Mmhmm. It’s been crazy recently - Capone’s got a grudge on me for the whole thing with Dex, and everyone else is picking sides and fightin’. No idea who was responsible for me and the stairs, but it’s gotten  _ civil war _ written all over it. Kudos to Larry for holding it all together, because  _ man _ .”

“Larry must have the patience of a saint.” Octavius returned with a plate of cheese sandwiches. “Unlike you. Scoot over.”

“I have patience - I just don’t like doing nothing for three weeks.” Jedediah shuffled forward so Octavius could sit behind him again. “Thanks for the baps, Ockie.”

“They’re rolls.”

“Baps.”

_ “Rolls.” _

_ “Baps.” _


	2. Chapter 2

_prompt: Jedediah tries for round two up on the barre._

Jedediah was quite certain that after that first time in the dance studio, he was never going to look at dance barres in the same way again.

At least, he wouldn’t be able to look at Octavius on a barre in the same way again. And the arse-hugging tights were not helping matters. Octavius and he had sequestered themselves in a private rehearsal room, so that Octavius could stretch out before his audition that afternoon. And boy, was Jedediah regretting deciding to come with him. Octavius toned and muscular legs were easily visible through the semi-opaque fabric, and each stretch made his arse flex and move enticingly against the wooden dance barre. Jedediah could barely take his eyes off the man - the coursework he had brought along to keep himself occupied lay abandoned as he ogled his boyfriend’s pert posterior. It was only some serious self control that stopped him from going over to him and taking that arse for himself. 

Jedediah’s tenacious self restraint came to an abrupt halt as Octavius lifted one leg onto the bar, and gave him the most obscene view of his arse.

“Tell me, Octavius.” Jedediah had crossed the room in seconds, and had wrapped himself around Octavius mid stretch, and purred into his ear. “How  _ sturdy  _ do you think this barre is?”

“Well, it has to be pretty sturdy. It has to support the weight of the dancers, who use it for balance.” Octavius replied as he dropped his leg, confusion lacing his voice as tried to figure out what the hell Jedediah was doing. “And these ones are made of wood and metal, so they’re pretty hard-”

“That’s good. Because they’re not the only things that are  _ hard _ .” Jedediah purposefully ground his growing interest into the cleft of Octavius’ tight-clad arse. He saw Octavius’ eyes widen slightly with a sudden intake of breath, his mouth forming a perfect o, before he laughed. He threw a smirk over his shoulder, and wiggled his hips  _ just so _ . Jedediah let out a throaty whine at the contact.

“It seems something might have to be done about that.” Octavius grinned, rubbing against him again. Jedediah growled, and pressed Octavius into the barre, his hands sliding down Octavius’ chest and circling the slowly pebbling nipples underneath the spandex.

“Mm _ hmm _ .” he murmured, as Octavius writhed against his teasing fingers. “Do you think this barre would be able to hold most of your weight?”

“It was sturdy enough to do it the first time around.”

“Good.” Within a few moments, Jedediah had Octavius turned around, and was pressing heated kisses to his lips and jaw. His hands roamed Octavius’ body, until they rubbed at Octavius’ half hard cock. Octavius mewled at the contact, and whined when Jedediah just smiled and moved on lower. Jedediah’s hands found the crook of Octavius’ knee and lifted it so that one leg now hung up over the barre, and Octavius was only keeping his balance by holding the bar in an iron-hard grip.

He dropped to his knees, and nuzzled the interested half-hard cock that was easily visible through his leotard. Octavius murmured contently in response, his hips rutting a little against Jedediah’s nose, and then more enthusiastically as Jedediah’s mouth started working against the length. It was just getting interesting, as Jedediah worked the other man to full hardness and Octavius switched his desperate moans into his native tongue, when there came a knock at the door.

“Hello? Anyone in there?”

Octavius instantly quietened, looking at the door with fear. Jedediah smoothed his hand over Octavius’ taut thigh in a comforting gesture, before yelling out:

“Sorry, I’m still using this one!”

“Well, you’ve had the room for an hour! How long are you going to be?”

“I don’t know!” There was a few moments of silence, before a frustrated sigh could be heard from the other side of the door.

“I’ll be back in ten minutes.” The voice finally said. “If you’re not out by then, I’m calling security.”

There were footsteps, before quiet once more. Jedediah let out a breath he wasn’t aware he was holding,, before giving Octavius a smile, and pressing a kiss to the inside of his thigh.

“Close call, that one. I suppose we’ll have to finish this elsewhere…”

“Jed.” There was a slight hint of a moan in Octavius’ voice and he gave him a heated look, and thrust the very obvious bulge in his tights in Jedediah’s face. Jedediah returned it with a cheeky grin.

“That does give the game away slightly, yes. But ten minutes is an awfully short time...” Jedediah said, acquiescing to Octavius’ silent plea, and nuzzling the hot, hard length once more. “How fast so you think you could come if I ripped your damn tights and shoved your cock down my throat?”

“ _ Jed. _ ” Octavius was definitely moaning now, and was grinding his cock against Jedediah’s face. “ _ Succhiare il cazzo. Subito _ .”

The answer, Jedediah found out, was far less than ten minutes.


	3. Chapter 3

_prompt: how do the tap class get along after the end of the fic?_

“Hey Ockie? I’m staying late after class tonight - tutor meeting.”

“Alright.”

“Don’t feel you have to wait up for me or anything.”

“I probably will anyway.”

“Yeah, cause you’re a  _ sap _ .”

“It’s because I’m lovely and romantic like that. What does Larry want you for anyway?”

“Dexter-related damage control.”

_ [[A few weeks earlier]] _

Jedediah was already dreading tap class. The strain in the class had been there since he and Octavius came out, and had only increased when news of his and Dexter’s fallout had broken. And now, there was the rumour that Dexter had been expelled, and another rumour that said Jedediah had caused it, and Jedediah was absolutely convinced that going into a class full of Dexter-ites would cause a bloodbath.

“Amelia, can’t I just take this week off?” Jedediah groaned as Amelia all but hauled him across the quad. “This is going to be  _ hell _ .”

“It’s better to face things now rather than let them fester.” Amelia replied without breaking stride. “Be sure to put your feet in the right place, then stand firm and all that.”

“Didn’t Abe say that last week? You’ve started copying each other - how  _ romantic _ .”

“Shut up, Jed.”

“You’re not even officially together yet, and you’re gunning for him. Maybe you’re hoping that what they say about big feet is true-”

“Jedediah Smith,  _ don’t you dare finish that sentence _ .”

They entered the class still playfully bickering, and didn’t notice the complete silence in the class for at least five seconds after their arrival. The tension hung low and thick in the air, and it seemed to Jedediah that the entire class was looking at him. Judging him.

He stepped back, but a shove from Amelia made him stumble back forward again. A hand went to his shoulder in a vice like grip, and he looked sideways to see Amelia glaring over his head at someone in the crowd. Jedediah followed her gaze.

Able, Dexter’s brother, had stepped forward towards him, hands in fists and glaring fit to bust.

“You  _ bastard _ .” The other man growled. Amelia’s hand tightened on Jedediah’s shoulder.

“Back off, Able.” Amelia said warningly. Able glowered at her and muttered a few choice words under his breath. Jedediah could not figure out what he had said, but it made Amelia’s face darken like a storm cloud. Her hand left his shoulder, and she marched forward and towered over the other man.

“Don’t you dare speak about him like that.” she hissed. “Don’t you _dare_.”

“I can speak to you and him  _ however  _ I like.” Able returned just as venomously. “You two got my brother expelled.”

“Your brother got himself expelled!” 

“If you two hadn’t gone traipsing off with those ballet boys, none of this would’ve happened!”

“Dexter made his own choices - what happened between us and our friends in ballet is irrelevant, and quite frankly, none of your business.  _ Back off _ .”

“ _ No _ .” There was a sudden shift in the crowd. Looking over Able’s head, Jedediah could see Capone and his flunkies shifting so that they were closer to the front, and Jedediah could see that they were spoiling for a fight. He was also acutely aware that in a fist fight between them and him and Amelia, Jedediah would probably come out partially liquified and Amelia wouldn’t fare much better. 

But luck was in his hand tonight. There was more shifting in the crowd, and Jedediah suddenly found himself shoulder to shoulder with five or six broad, muscular dancers who Jed had never spoken to, but knew they came from Tuskegee. A more slender man took Amelia’s other side, and Jedediah saw from his hoodie that he was called Clark. Gradually, more and more people began to move and pick a side, before quite suddenly, the class was split into two groups - the majority group of Dexter-ites, and the small group surrounding Jedediah.

He did not know how long they stood in this stand off position, but a sudden slam of the door made everyone in the class jump and turn. Larry stood in front of the closed door, arms crossed and a face that could probably scare an infant child to death. Jedediah immediately felt a little afraid.

“Alright,” Larry said with a forced sense of calm. “What the hell is going on here?”

No-one replied.

“Is no one going to tell me why I walked in to my class and found two thirds of you trying to kill the other group with stares?”

Someone in the room coughed, but no-one spoke. Larry sighed.

“Look guys, this is  _ ridiculous!  _ You’re all grown adults, and I expect you to act like it - that means actually discussing a problem rather than getting all aggressive over it!”

“There’s nothing to discuss.” Able finally said sulkily. 

“Evidently there is, or we wouldn’t be stood around like naughty schoolchildren.” Larry shot at him. “Look, I can’t teach you like this. Class is cancelled for today - take the weekend to think about what the hell happened here, alright?”

There were a few disgruntled murmurs. Larry gave them a pointed stare.

“You’ll also be having tutor meetings all next week, either with me or with Cecil - and I will let him know what happened here. Anyone who purposefully aggravates or initiates a fight in this class again will be suspended from class. Is that understood?”

A sullen chorus of “Yes, Larry” floated up from the assembled group of dancers. Larry nodded at them, before stepping aside and letting them pass through the door in single file. Able gave Jedediah and Amelia one last hateful glare, before stepping outside, ignoring the disapproving look Larry shot at him. Jedediah stuck his hands in his pockets and left without looking up from the floor, Amelia hot on his heels.

This was going to be one hell of a long year.


End file.
